Seeing Taylor Swift in concert at the Lincoln Financial field in Philadelphia on May 12, 2023 made me a bit sentimental. Her Era’s tour reminded me of all my era’s of her music and on Friday night they all collided and exploded in an emotional sparkle bomb. I’ll start at the beginning…
Tim McGraw
When I was in my 40’s I fell into a deep and torrid affair with Country Music. I discovered it on the satellite radio station in my car and it felt so new and fresh. Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and a girl named Taylor Swift made me buy a pick up truck and even drive it to Nashville. There were songs about farmers! Nature! Family! My new love of country led me to watch the Country Music Awards on TV in 2006 when Taylor Swift performed her song Tim McGraw live in front of the real Tim McGraw. I knew right then and there that she would be big one day. I told an unnamed “elitist” book editor about her when I was at work in my New York office one day.
“I heard she can’t sing,” she sneered.
“But she writes all her own songs and they’re really good,” I replied — the chip on my shoulder, which would make me one day understand the appeal of Trump to some people, grew a bit deeper that day. Among the NYC publishing set Country Music was considered crude and uncivilized. I later realized that my love of country music had a bit to do with my unhappy marriage — trying to keep it together. When my marriage ended, my obsession with country music eased. But I still enjoyed Taylor Swift and watched her transition out of country along with my own transition to a divorcee.
On one of my first post divorce family vacations I found myself in a fabulous beach hotel in a very small and exclusive town in Rhode Island. Rumor had it that Taylor Swift had bought the big house on the bluff a few doors down. That was confirmed by the fact there were signs on the front yard that said: “I knew you were trouble when you walked in. NO TRESPASSING.” It was 2013 and at that point she still didn’t need a gate to keep people out. That would come later. I know because I would return again and again. Not because of Taylor, but because it is in my humble opinion the best beach on the East Coast. But I loved her sense of humor. We would both need a good sense of humor to get through all the era’s we went through in the years ahead (and this was already post “Kanye”).
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
As a newly single woman I had a secret relationship that was on again and off again over and over again. I can’t tell you how many times I shouted the words to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together while I was driving alone in my car.
I recently discovered that song was co-written by Shellback and Max Martin, who are featured in a really interesting episode on Netflix’s This Is Pop episode on Stockholm and why so many hits eminate from that city. It’s fascinating and worth watching. The song was her first #1 hit.
But that relationship was exhausting so we are still never ever getting back together.
The Last Great American Dynasty
I was free again. Sold my company. Lived through the pandemic. Wrote a book. And then had a stroke. While in the hospital the only thing I wanted to listen to was Taylor Swift’s Folklore album. And my favorite song was the one she wrote about her house in that beautiful little Rhode Island town I know so well, The Last Great American Dynasty.
But it was while I was at the concert in Philadelphia, along with 55,000 screaming and crying fans with the most sparkles and sequins per square foot in the history of humanity that I realized that song was about more than her house to me. Selling my family business felt like the end of a unique American dynasty. And I did have a marvelous time ruining everything. Sorry. Not sorry.
I took my oldest and youngest daughter and my son-in-law to see the concert (this time Lucia was much more excited about the whole thing). Traffic was brutal (it took us two hours just to get out of the parking lot to get home.) As some of you may know, I have been to a lot of concerts. Over 100 at least. As we sat in the parking lot before the show I said to my youngest: “It would be nice to be young again, but what’s also nice is that I have decades of concert experiences to remember.” She had to help me pull up the tickets on my phone.
I’m not going to lie, I love Taylor Swift, but I was even more excited to see Phoebe Bridgers and scream along with her during I Know The End, which we did with gusto. Lucia and I would have been happy to go home after that we were so satisfied.
(My eyes are still red from crying, which I often do when I hear great music. We love you Phoebe Bridgers!)
But nothing really prepared me for Taylor Swift live in concert.
The performance, the visuals, the special effects, the intensity were insane. She performed longer than Bruce Springsteen (3 and a half hours plus two opening acts) — and is one of the few artists who has enough original material that are major hits to perform for that length and keep people on their feet the whole time (although I sat for some of it because I had to save my strength for the long drive home). The only thing she didn’t do was fly in the air, basically. She is a testament to the feminine power of creativity and resilience. The evening was especially poignent because she is originally from nearby in Pennsylvania, and spent her childhood with her Dad watching Eagles games in the same stadium. It’s always magical and an honor when you witness an artist in the moment they are accomplishing more than their wildest dreams.
And that woman sure can sing.
My Swifty era, if I had to pick one, is Folklore, with a mossy cabin in the woods, fireflies and a flowy white dress. But she’s only 33 years old. I am fascinated to see where both our future eras take us.
Beam me up to the future era where Taylor Swift rules the world, please.
same. same, from the early albums to folklore and evermore. swift's impressive artistic and significant business talents are truly demanding of appreciation. the timing of folklore and evermore's releases during the pandemic... perfect. so, again... same. same. watching swift's message and music mature in real time is amazing, along with her personal voice for social issues and politics. she's truly impressive, imo.
also, yaaay for family time, sharing the energy of the event and each other.
what i'm really curious about is "the chip on my shoulder, which would make me one day understand the appeal of Trump to some people." i wonder what you mean, and how this is, sincerely.
To think Taylor Swift performed at Knoebels, twice! Loved reading another chapter of your journey.